The Strange Case of Christian and the Duke
by peridot mousey
Summary: Before Christian ventures to Monmarte, he is enthralled by the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He decides to recreate the story, determined that the result will be a "perfect" love. However, he releases a force too evil to control - the Duke.
1. In Persuit of a Dream

Title : The Strange Case of Christian and the Duke  
  
Author : peridot mousey  
  
Rating : PG-13 (just because it may be quite dark - for lack of a better term - at some points, and for mild language)  
  
Summary : This is a very different, darker twist on the Moulin Rouge story we all know and love. Christian, long before he ventures to Monmarte, is enthralled by the novella The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He is quite sure that the ending isn't what would truly happen; it was merely ended like to keep people, like himself, from trying such a thing. Christian, within his ridiculous obsession with love, is quite sure that if he could successfully seperate the natures of good and evil, he would be able to find the fabled "perfect" love. He convinces himself to leave London and venture to Monmarte where the appropriate drugs to re-create Dr.Jeykll's potion are legal and easy to obtain. However, what our tragic Bohemian poet fails to realize is that by administering the horrid drugs, he releases a force too evil to control - the Duke.  
  
Disclaimer : I don't own Moulin Rouge; I'm not nearly as brilliant as Baz. *smiles* Also, I don't own the novella or musical version of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm just borrowing quite a bit from each and twisting them together into one ulimately warped web of love and lust, reality and facades, good and evil.  
  
Notes : As you know, the course of both musicals is quite different, yet quite similiar at the same time. However, to tell my story, I can't abide by the exact plot of either. So, with that in mind, I have to leave out several songs/scenes from each. Please don't flame me for that. This story isn't meant to be overly humerous, so I have to change things. Besides, there's the obvious detail that Christian and the Duke are the same; that alone should account for most of my changes. *smiles* Please review if you enjoy this. I'll continue as long as I have feedback and support.  
  
  
  
Chapter 1 : In Persuit of a Dream  
  
  
  
"In each of us there are two natures. If this primitive duality of man - good and evil - could be housed in seperate identities, life would be relieved of all that is unbearable. It is the curse of mankind that these polar twins should be constantly struggling," Christian recited to his father with determination flickering in his blue-gray eyes. He had a dream to persue, and he was not going to allow his father - no matter if the intentions were good or evil - stand in his way.  
  
"Is that what you call justification for wasting your life with a Moulin Rouge can-can dancer?" Christian's father spat in a cruel, yet ultimately feeble, tone.  
  
"I will find my perfect love!" Christian exclaimed in a suddenly impassioned tone. "It may be in the arms of a can-can dancer, but I assure you, she will be more wonderful in the world than one of the hypocriticial social butterflies you intend for me to marry!"  
  
"And why is that? Because you believe you can separate good and evil?" his father inquired in mock-seriousness.  
  
"Precisely!" Christian exclaimed, but it was after his father's short fit of laughter that Christian realized his father truly didn't believe in him.  
  
"Christian, my poor, misguided son, you are a writer with dreams that are not meant to come true. You insist on performing a very complex, scientific procedure when you barely managed to pass basic chemistry. To make matters worse, this test you insist on conducting, it not one of reality. It is fiction, Christian, entirely fiction," his father stated.  
  
"Father," Christian retorted, "if it is fiction, the test will be a failure, and I will return home just the way I am. But, if it could be made into a reality, I could finally find my perfect love. Everyone could find perfect love. Love is like oxygen! Love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!"  
  
"Always this ridiculous obsession with love," his father growled.  
  
"And what's wrong with that? All my life you've made me believe I was only worth a simple job in the family business with a pretty, little doll for a wife. I want more than that!" Christian yelled, infuriated by his father's incompetence, "I'm going away from here! Away from you! Away from the hypocrites! Away from London!"  
  
Before his father could begin another of his senseless rampages, Christian raced for the open door with his suitcase clutched tightly in his hand. He was finally off to persue his dream. He was determined he would seperate the polar twins and find perfect love with or without the approval of anyone else. It was a quest he had begun alone, but he hoped, in the end, he could share his victory with one other - the source of his perfect love.  
  
~*~  
  
The train station was filled with an eccletic mix of passengers. Some were rich; some were poor. Some were wise; some were foolish. Some were good; some were evil. As they boarded the train, they filled the station and cars with their song.  
  
"There's a face that we wear  
  
In the cold light of day -  
  
It's society's mask,  
  
It's society's way,  
  
And the truth is  
  
That it's all a faÃ§ade!"  
  
As they walked along past each of the rooms, each one glanced out the windows and continued in their haunting melody.  
  
"There's a face that we hide  
  
Till the nighttime appears,  
  
And what's hiding inside,  
  
Behind all of our fears,  
  
Is our true self,  
  
Locked inside the faÃ§ade!"  
  
When the train reached its destination, the ladies and gentlemen exited the train. The gentlemen tipped their hats to the ladies who sang in a soft yet nearly frightening tone.  
  
"Every day  
  
People, in their own sweet way,  
  
Like to add a coat of paint,  
  
And be what they ain't!"  
  
The ladies stepped aside and followed the gentlemen who tried to escort their ladies past the 'evil' creatures of the underworld. With their noses turned up - the ladies mirroring the action - the gentleman sang darkly.  
  
"That's how our little game is played.  
  
Livin' out a masquerade,  
  
Actin' a bizarre charade -  
  
While playin' the Saint!"  
  
Underworld creatures certainly held no respect or fear toward the ladies and gentleman of society. They danced and pranced around them with exaggerated expressions painted upon their faces and exotic costumes adorning their bodies. With their sarcastic cruelty, they sang out their reply.  
  
"But there's one thing I know,  
  
And I know it for sure:  
  
This disease that we've got  
  
Has got no ready cure!  
  
And I'm certain  
  
Life is terribly hard -  
  
When your life's a faÃ§ade!"  
  
As the opposing groups of people strolled through the mazes of Monmarte, it became a complicated illusion. A lady would stroll with a parasol in hand, but when she turned around, a courtesan stood in her place. A gentleman would walk along and tip his hat, but once he turned around to speak, a criminal stood in his shoes. They continued to scramble themselves through the crowd as the song continued to echo through the streets.  
  
"Look around you!  
  
I have found  
  
You cannot tell, by lookin' at the surface,  
  
What is lurkin' there beneath it!  
  
See that face!  
  
Now, I'm prepared to bet you,  
  
What you see's not what you get -  
  
'Cause man's a master of deceit!"  
  
The criminals on the street corners with a knife in their boot and a gun by their waist walked slowly through the crowd, finally separating themselves from the gentlemen. But as they began to sing, each turned around and walked toward a lady with a tipped top hat.  
  
"So, what is this sinister secret?  
  
The lie he will tell you is true? -  
  
It's that each man you meet  
  
In the street  
  
Isn't one man, but two!"  
  
The courtesans in their inappropiate attire and adorned with glitter and jewels sauntered through the crowd, finally separating themselves from the ladies. But as they began to sing, they mirrored the criminals' pattern by turning around and walking toward a gentleman with a parasol in hand.  
  
"Nearly everyone you see -  
  
Like him an' her  
  
An' you, an' me -  
  
Pretends to be a pillar of society -  
  
A model of propriety -  
  
Sobriety an' piety -  
  
Who shudders at the thought  
  
Of notoriety!"  
  
Hand-in-hand, the ladies and gentlemen danced through the streets away from the criminals and courtesans. But in the middle of their singing, the underworld creatures danced toward them again joining the song.  
  
"The ladies and gents 'ere before you -  
  
Which none of 'em ever admits -  
  
May 'ave saintly looks -  
  
But they're sinners an' crooks!"  
  
As the opposing crowds faced each other, they sang spitefully.  
  
"Hypocrites!  
  
Hypocrites!  
  
There are preachers who kill!  
  
There are killers who preach!  
  
There are teachers who lie!  
  
There are liars who teach!  
  
Take yer pick, dear -  
  
'Cause it's all a faÃ§ade!"  
  
Suddenly the two groups stepped toward each other and again blended into chaos as their song continued to the haunt the busy streets.  
  
"If we're not one, but two,  
  
Are we evil or good?  
  
Do we walk the fine line -  
  
That we'd cross, if we could?  
  
Are we waiting -  
  
To break through the faÃ§ade?"  
  
Upon the opposite side, the underworld creatures each held a sinister smirk as they glanced over their shoulders and darkly sang to their counterparts.  
  
"One or two  
  
Might look kinda well-to-do -  
  
Hah! They're as bad as me an you,  
  
Right down to their boots!"  
  
Upon the opposite side, the ladies and gentleman each kept their noses in their air as they glanced over their shoulders and spitefully sang to their counterparts.  
  
"I'm inclined to think -  
  
Half mankind  
  
Thinks the other half is blind!  
  
Wouldn't be surprised to find -  
  
They're all in cahoots!"  
  
Each individual began to walk in a separate direction and sang in a tone that held no spite or darkness, only truth.  
  
"At the end of the day,  
  
They don't mean what they say,  
  
They don't say what they mean,  
  
They don't ever come clean -  
  
And the answer -  
  
Is it's all a faÃ§ade!"  
  
Hand-in-hand, the courtesans danced with the gentleman, and the criminals danced with the ladies as the song hauntingly continued.  
  
"Man is not one, but two.  
  
He is evil and good  
  
An' he walks the fine line  
  
We'd all cross, if we could!"  
  
Finally the group stood together and sang in a truthful tone with hints of spite and bitterness beneath each word.  
  
"It's a nightmare -  
  
We can never discard -  
  
So we stay on our guard -  
  
Though we love the faÃ§ade -  
  
What's behind the faÃ§ade?  
  
Look behind the faÃ§ade!"  
  
~*~  
  
With a box in one hand and his suitcase in the other, Christian stepped into the street long after the song was over. He walked with quick footsteps to the Le' Amoure Hotel where he exchanged his ticket back to London as collateral for a key.  
  
Christian's garret was small, he had to confess, but he decided it would serve its purpose quite well. The simple garret held a small bed, table, and dresser. Beside the door was a decorative fireplace with a mantle that stuck out so far that upon walking in-or-out of the door, Christian would eaisly catch his arm on it. Along the opposite wall was a fairly large window and a so-called balcony.  
  
He sat the box upon the bothersome mantle and as he unpacked, he continued to stare back at it as if to make sure it hadn't gone anywhere. Once his clothes were in the dresser and his typewriter sat contentedly upon the table, he gave yet another glance to the box.  
  
"Finally, I've reached the place where my dream may be persued," Christian thought aloud as he sat down in front of his typewriter. He was determined to write during his experiment, for this way he would be able to compare and contrast his story to Stevenson's inspirational novella. Also, to prove his point that separating good and evil was not a terribly tragic thing, he decided to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and that which he believed in above all things, love - a truly perfect love. 


	2. The Poetic Pitch

Title : The Strange Case of Christian and the Duke  
  
Author : peridot mousey  
  
Rating : Remains PG-13 for the same reasons. It's probably a bit of a harsh rating.  
  
Disclaimer : I still don't own Moulin Rouge; I'm not nearly as brilliant as Baz. *smiles* Also, I don't own the novella or musical version of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm just borrowing quite a bit from each and twisting them together into one ulimately warped web of love and lust, reality and facades, good and evil.  
  
Notes : Same as the previous set of notes. Now, for any fans of the J&H musical, you'll notice I changed some of the words in the facade reprise. It fits quite nicely now, I think. Also, I'm changing two -major- things. In Christian's version of the musical, there is only Lucy, not Emma (or Lisa). You'll understand why at the very end. And, Satine isn't going to have consumption. Why? Well, she's going to die anyways, so why make her suffer even more? I know, I'm changing the two big, important things, but I promise the story will be wonderful because of it. *smiles* Also, thanks so much for the reviews!  
  
  
  
Chapter 2 : The Poetic Pitch  
  
  
  
Just as Christian's fingertips rested upon the typewriter's keys, he was suddenly interrupted by a man, dressed in all black with a cape and top hot, falling through the ceiling. Before Christian could respond, a dwarf dressed as a prostitute walked through the door and introduced himself himself as Toulouse Lautrec.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry about all this. We were upstairs rehersing a play when he fell asleep," Toulouse said, slurring some of his words together due to his strong lisp. "You see, he suffers from narcolepsy - awake one minute, unconscious the next."  
  
"A play?" Christian inquired.  
  
"Yes," Toulouse answered with a quick nod of his head, "Audrey hasn't come up with a name yet. It's based on the novella about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."  
  
"Toulouse!" Audrey snapped as she peered through the large hole in the ceiling, "We have got to finish rehersing in order to present this to the financier tonight! Now where are we going to find someone to play-"  
  
"I'll do it!" Christian announced before hearing the description.  
  
After venturing upstairs to the Bohemians' larger room, Christian stood in the Argentinian's dark attire behind the scantily-clad Toulouse. Satie, an interesting bald man with glasses, a scarf, and mismatched attire, sat at the massive organ and played a haunting yet over-whelmingly distracting tune. Toulouse, twitching a bit from the hideous noise, sang Audrey's lyrics, "And the heavenly creatures profoundly state that the sport is perilous."  
  
"No, no, no!" Audrey spat, "Satie, can't we just have a bit of decorative piano? And Tolouse, sing something else."  
  
"What about, the creatures of the sky say-" Satie began, but was quickly cut off by Audrey's glare. The group argued back-and-forth with possible new lyrics.  
  
"The an-" Christian stated, but the arguements kept his words from being heard or acknowledged.  
  
To everyone's surprise, the Argentinian suddenly sat up and said, "People - saying - and - danger-", but suddenly his eyes crossed as he fell back into his unconscious state.  
  
"Melodic symphonies of heavenly creatures announce-" Toulouse stated.  
  
Suddenly Christian, desperate to share his glorious idea, burst into song, "And the angel's proclaim-"  
  
Everyone turned and stared at Christian as he completed the problem piece, "- it's a dangerous game!"  
  
"And the angels proclaim," the Argentinian stated in his Spanish accent, suddenly awake and walking toward the shocked Bohemians, "it's a dangerous game. I love it!"  
  
"And the angels proclaim," Tolouse repeated.  
  
"It's a dangerous game!" Satie sang.  
  
"It's wonderful, Christian!" Toulouse announced, beaming with happiness, "You and Audrey should write the show together!"  
  
But Audrey clearly didn't agree with the idea or even the mere mentioning of the idea. She quickly stormed out the door leaving the Bohemians with their Absinthe and brilliant new poet.  
  
"The boy has talent," the Argentinian announced, suddenly giving Christian an inappropiate touch then, just as suddenly, took a step away. "It's nothing funny, hmph, I just like talent."  
  
"Christian, you must write the show for the Moulin Rouge!" Toulouse announced.  
  
"I - I can't write the show for the Moulin Rouge!" Christian exclaimed, suddenly ready to leap down to his room if necessary. Thoughts of his father's implications of wasting his life with a can-can dancer haunted him. The experiment hadn't even begun yet. He couldn't just enter the Moulin Rouge and get distracted. "I.. I don't even know if I am a true Bohemian Revolutionary."  
  
"Do you believe in truth?" Toulouse asked.  
  
"Yes," Christian stated.  
  
"Beauty?" Satie inquired.  
  
"Yes," Christian repeated.  
  
"Freedom?" the Doctor, a strange, old man with a flair for explosives and electricity, questioned.  
  
"Yes," Christian again repeated.  
  
"Love?" the tango-dancing Argentinian asked.  
  
"Love?" Christian stated with a quizzical expression causing the Bohemians to nearly gasp and faint, "Love, above all things I believe in love! Love is like oxygen! Love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!"  
  
"See, you can't fool us!" Toulouse said as he and the others released a sigh of relief, "You're the voice of the Children of the Revolution!"  
  
It seemed that there was no way for Christian to disagree with the persistent Bohemian bunch. He somehow came to the logical conclusion in his mind that by going to the Moulin Rouge, perhaps he could find someone with the potential to be the "perfect" love he was searching for - a reason to conduct his test. Immediately after reaching this conclusion, his thoughts were drowned by his first glass of the illusionary green liquid - Absinthe.  
  
"And the angels proclaim," a sparkling green fairy sang as she teasingly danced for the drunken Bohemians, "it's a dangerous game!"  
  
The Bohemians danced around the room, vaguely paying attention to the green fairy's song, for they were lost in one of their own.  
  
"If you live around here,  
  
You need cash in the bank,  
  
'Cause the houses 'round here  
  
Are all flashy and swank,  
  
An' the front bit  
  
Is what's called a faÃ§ade!"  
  
Christian, now dressed in the Argentinian's best suit, stood upon the so- called balcony, accompanied by the repetitious green fairy and the still- singing Bohemians.  
  
"If you live around here,  
  
You need lots of panache!  
  
If you live in town, dear,  
  
Then you must cut a dash!  
  
't Isn't hard, dear,  
  
To create a faÃ§ade!"  
  
They followed the green fairy down the stairs and into the street. The effects of the Absinthe were slowly letting go of Christian who wisely only drank one glass. However, the rest of the Bohemians were still flying and singing with the green fairy since they had finished the bottle themselves.  
  
"Here tonight it's festive -  
  
But the Bohemians are restive -  
  
'Cause the young writer  
  
Could be making a scene!"  
  
Christian's eyes were filled with wonderment as he stared at the red, windmill wings of the Moulin Rouge. It was an hour before the doors were open the public, yet a group of already drunken men stood outside howling for the Sparkling Diamond. As Christian was escorted inside by Harold Zidler, the Bohemians sang out the remainder of their song.  
  
"Christian is nervous  
  
For his poetry wasn't rehersed-  
  
He must present it  
  
To the Sparkling Diamond, Satine!"  
  
~*~  
  
"Oh Chickpea," Harold's voice boomed outside Satine's dressing room, "Your... appointment has arrived!"  
  
"What appointment? I only schedule appointments for - after - the show," Satine stated quizzically.  
  
"I don't remember the details of the appointment, but I do remember you have one. He could be one of the possible investors. I really don't know, and I most certainly can't ask," Harold stated.  
  
"He can't be one of the investors; we always escort them to the Elephant. Hmm, this is quite strange. Well, send him in," Satine replied.  
  
Harold nodded and called for Christian who was standing in a hallway. With a bright, fake smile, Harold opened the door, practically pushed him in, and closed the door behind him. Satine appeared from behind her dressing curtain clad in her short, black, Sparking Diamond attire. Her top hat, however, remained upon her dressing table, for her red locks had yet to be pinned up.  
  
"I believe you were expecting me," Satine purred.  
  
"Yes.. yes.." Christian stammered as he stared in complete awe.  
  
"Well, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting. Harold failed to mention the... exact details about this appointment, so let me get one basic question answered. Do you prefer the 'Wilting Flower'?" she said, then closed her eyes and whimpered.  
  
"Erm.. no?" Christian replied, unsure of what exactly he was chosing.  
  
"Okay then. 'Bright and Bubbly'?" she said with wide eyes and a bright smile.  
  
"Em.." Christian murmered.  
  
"I suppose not. So, 'Smoldering Temptress' it is," she purred. "Now, do you need anything before we begin? Refreshment? Anything?"  
  
"No, no, I'd just prefer to get it over and done with," Christian stated nervously.  
  
Satine was caught off-guard by his sudden response, but she grinned seductively and replied, "Very well."  
  
A few can-can dancers followed by Marie with extra costumes walked through the shared dressing room. Christian's eyes suddenly went wide, and his nerves were more alarmed. "I was told we could.. do it in private," he stammered.  
  
"Oh really?" she inquired, intrigued by the silly boy's nervousness.  
  
"Yes, yes, a private.. poetry reading," Christian said.  
  
"A poetry reading? I just love a little poetry..." Satine purred.  
  
"Em, Tolouse said you might enjoy it," he added.  
  
"Of course - wait, Toulouse? Toulouse sent you?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, yes, I'm a writer." Christian said.  
  
"A writer?" Satine inquired in slight disgust, "You're one of Toulouse's charmingly Bohemian yet tragically impoverished writers?"  
  
"Yes, that's right." Christian replied with a slight nod, "He sent me in Audrey's place. She quit, but no worries, I'll be writing the show. Well, if you like my poetry, that is."  
  
"Oh! Audrey! My appointment was with Audrey!" Satine exclaimed, "I'm terribly sorry! Forgive my horrible behavior. I thought you were an investor. Well, ahem, let's just um, get it over and done with, then?"  
  
Christian nodded as he nervously paced a bit while reciting slowly, "It's.. a little bit funny, this- this feeling inside. I'm not one of those who can, who can easily hide."  
  
Satine stared at him. She truly wasn't paying attention to his words. His charming good looks had captured her attention.  
  
"I don't have much money, but- but if I did," he continued, "I'd buy a big house where we both could, could live."  
  
Satine's gaze was making his nervousness even worse. He tried to concentrate, but it was so difficult. "If, if I was a sculptor, but then again, no," he stammered, while trying to focus and remember the words, "Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show... I know it's not much but it's the best I can do."  
  
Christian sighed; he knew this wasn't going so well. He turned around and finally returned her gaze. Suddenly, the words eaisly rolled off his tongue as he sang to her, "My gift is my song, and this one's for you." Once he was quite sure she was paying attention, he continued softly.  
  
"And you can tell everybody this is your song.  
  
It may be quite simple, but now that it's done,  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
  
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words,  
  
How wonderful life is while you're in the world."  
  
With hesistant, yet slightly more confident footsteps, Christian strolled slowly toward Satine. He continued to stare back at her then suddenly looked away, intriguing her even more as he sang.  
  
"I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss.  
  
Well a few of the verses well, they've got me quite cross.  
  
But, the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song;  
  
It's for people like you that keep it turned on."  
  
Slowly, Satine stood and stepped closer to the charming, Bohemian poet, for she suddenly didn't enjoy just sitting and keeping her distance. He smiled at her and continued the song, but didn't often meet her gaze directly. It annoyed her, yet it kept her curious as to his true intentions.  
  
"So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do,  
  
You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue.  
  
Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean,  
  
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen."  
  
As Christian continued to sing to Satine, he twirled her around. She felt as though they were dancing upon the clouds in the Paris sky that hung around the Eifel Tower.  
  
"And you can tell everybody  
  
That this is your song.  
  
It may be quite simple,  
  
But now that it's done,  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
  
That I put down in words,  
  
How wonderful life is  
  
Now you're in the world."  
  
Once they had stopped dancing around the dressing room, Christian held her in a gentle embrace as he nearly whispered the remainder of the song to her.  
  
"I hope you don't mind,  
  
I hope you don't mind,  
  
That I put down in words,  
  
How wonderful life is  
  
Now you're in the world."  
  
Satine merely stared at him with an uncharacteristically lovesick gaze sparkling in her eyes. Christian broke the awkward silence by slowly releasing her and inquired, "Well, did.. did you like my poetry?"  
  
"Yes.. yes.." she murmered, suddenly a bit nervous.  
  
"Well, would you like to know about the show?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, still staring deeply into his eyes.  
  
"It's based on the novella about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Only, instead of such an old, distrought man... our Dr. Jekyll is a dashing young doctor with a seemingly happy life. But, you see, he struggles constantly because he absolutely loathes the idea of evil being present. He wants to eliminate it completely. No one seems to approve and certainly won't allow him a test subject. He goes out for a drink one night on the wrong side of town, and there he meets a pro- erm, courtesan, the most beautiful courtesan of them all - Lucy," he said.  
  
"Go on," she whispered, completely enthralled.  
  
"Well, Dr. Jekyll isn't impressed with her actions, yet he sees something deeper in her - good, perhaps. He gives Lucy his card and tells her to stop by if she ever needs a friend. He returns home and begins his experiments. To his dismay, the evil force inside him is released - Mr. Hyde. He's a ruthless man who falls in love with Lucy. He pays Lucy to, well, do her job, I suppose.. but Lucy doesn't love him; she loves Dr. Jekyll. So, Mr. Hyde becomes stronger and begins to murder people who stand in his way. Eventually, Hyde kills Lucy. Jeykll, in return, kills Hyde which kills himself as well," Christian explained.  
  
"Wow, that's.. that's amazing. Well, I have no problem with you writing the show. It sounds wonderful to me. I will discuss it with Harold, then perhaps I could... stop by and deliver the news?" Satine said.  
  
"Of course. I'm staying at the Le'Amoure Hotel. Just ask for Christian," he said. "Well, you have a show to do, so, goodbye Mademoiselle Satine."  
  
"Goodbye, Christian.." she said softly as he walked out the door. Satine's heart fluttered about within her chest as though she had been given new wings. Still, she knew she wasn't able fly. Not yet. Something about the Bohemian poet had intrigued her and allowed her to catch a glimpse of real love.  
  
"He's.. perfect.." she thought aloud, "how wonderful life is now Christian is in the world. As she continued to think, she stared out the small window and her thoughts became a song which she sang but knew he would never hear.  
  
"I peer through windows,  
  
Watch life go by,  
  
Dream of tomorrow,  
  
And wonder why."  
  
She sighed wistfully and sat down at her dressing table. She stared at her little, caged bird and sang to it as though it understood completely.  
  
"The past is holding me,  
  
Keeping life at bay.  
  
I wander lost in yesterday,  
  
Wanting to fly,  
  
But scared to try."  
  
Suddenly, Satine smiled as she thought of her beautiful, Bohemian poet and continued to become lost in her song.  
  
"But if someone like you  
  
Found someone like me  
  
Then suddenly,  
  
Nothing would ever be the same.  
  
My heart would take wing,  
  
And I'd feel so alive!  
  
If someone like you  
  
Found me!"  
  
She thought about all the times she had longed for someone to truly love her instead of pay her to indulge their fantasies. She always said "diamonds were a girl's best friend", but diamonds couldn't buy her the perfect love she had always dreamt of. She sighed and sang out her thoughts.  
  
"So many secrets  
  
I long to share.  
  
All I have needed  
  
Is someone there...  
  
To help me see a world  
  
I've never seen before.  
  
A love to open every door,  
  
To set me free  
  
So I can soar!"  
  
Satine danced around, as if trying to re-create the dream-like enchantment Christian had danced her into, while she completed her thoughtful singing.  
  
"For if someone like you  
  
Found someone like me  
  
Then suddenly,  
  
Nothing would ever be the same!  
  
There'd be a new way to live,  
  
A new life to love,  
  
If someone like you  
  
Found me!"  
  
"Oh, if someone like you  
  
Found someone like me  
  
Then suddenly,  
  
Nothing would ever be the same!  
  
My heart would take wing,  
  
And I'd feel so alive!  
  
If someone like you  
  
Loved me!  
  
Loved me!  
  
Loved me!"  
  
Suddenly, Satine stopped dancing around and quickly regained her composure. She twirled her red locks into a bun and pinned it up then placed the black, top hat upon her head. "Someone like you won't find someone like me. You deserve better, Christian," she whispered. 


	3. Diamond's Dangerous Game : The Duke

Title : The Strange Case of Christian and the Duke  
  
Author : peridot mousey  
  
Rating : Remains PG-13 for the same reasons. It's probably a bit of a harsh rating.  
  
Disclaimer : I still don't own Moulin Rouge; I'm not nearly as brilliant as Baz. *smiles* Also, I don't own the novella or musical version of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm just borrowing quite a bit from each and twisting them together into one ulimately warped web of love and lust, reality and facades, good and evil.  
  
Notes : Thanks for the reviews! Well, this chapter has quite a bit of music. If you haven't heard the music from Jekyll and Hyde, I guess this is really boring. I'm sorry... ;_; Also, I'm sorry for taking so long to get this chapter done. It's been a... stressful week.  
  
  
  
Chapter 3 : Diamond's Dangerous Game : The Duke  
  
  
  
With a smile and an air of confidence, Christian strolled down the streets on the wrong side of Monmarte. In his hands, he held a box filled with horrid and powerful drugs. As if to create a facade for his fear, he sang to pass the time it would take to return to his garret.  
  
"This is the moment  
  
This is the day  
  
When I send all my doubts and demons on their way!  
  
Every endeavour  
  
I have made - ever  
  
Is comoing into play  
  
Is here and now - today!"  
  
"This is the moment  
  
This is the time  
  
When the momentum and the moment are in rhyme!"  
  
"Give me this moment  
  
This precious chance  
  
I'll gather up my past  
  
And make some sense at last!"  
  
This is was the day Christian had been waiting for. Finally, he could free himself from the evil buried deep inside and experience a truly perfect love. He smiled at the thought, for he was convinced he had found that woman special enough to be ridded of her evils to become his perfect love - Satine. He was convinced he could destroy the evil and return home to London with Satine at his side just to prove to the world that he had been successful. As he neared his garret, he continued in his confident song.  
  
"This is the moment  
  
When all I've done  
  
All of the dreaming, sheming and screaming become one.  
  
This is the day  
  
See it sparkle and shine!  
  
When all I've lived for becomes mine!"  
  
"For all these years,  
  
I've faced the world alone  
  
And now the time has come  
  
To prove to them I made it on my own!"  
  
"This is the moment  
  
My final test  
  
Destiny beckoned  
  
I never reckoned second best!"  
  
With quick footsteps, Christian asended the staircase to his garret. He unlocked the door and promptly entered, ready to begin his quest. He rolled up his sleeve as he began to take viles out of the box, still remaining lost in the remainder of his song.  
  
"I won't look down  
  
I must not fall!  
  
This is the moment  
  
The sweetest moment of them all!"  
  
"This is the moment  
  
Damn all the odds!  
  
This day or never  
  
I'll sit forever with the Gods!"  
  
"When I look back  
  
I will always recall  
  
Moment for moment  
  
This was the moment  
  
The greatest moment of them all!"  
  
The table was quickly littered by various bubbling, foaming liquids and needles. With a bit of difficultly, Christian had tied the provided material around his upper arm. He sat down to his typewriter to begin his story. With a quick crack of his knuckles, he placed his fingers upon the keys. Softly he sang his words aloud as he typed.  
  
"I must be wise,  
  
I must try to analyze  
  
Each change in me,  
  
Everything I see -  
  
How will it be?  
  
Will I see the world  
  
Through different eyes?"  
  
He shrugged his shoulders as he reached for the first drug. His gray-blue eyes were captivated by it, and he sang out as he stared.  
  
"Like a warning light  
  
Glimmering in red  
  
Like crimson bloodshed  
  
Shimmering in red  
  
Beautiful and strange  
  
See the colours change before my eyes!  
  
See how they dance and they sparkle  
  
Like diamonds at night!  
  
Leading me out of the darkness  
  
And into the light!"  
  
With a sudden burst of excitement, any sort of fears were pushed aside. He gently pressed the needle to his vein in the pocket of his elbow where his upper and lower arm met. He pushed against the syrenge until the red liquid was lost within his blood. He removed the needle and pressed a ball of cotton to his tiny wound. With his left hand, he typed, "Three fifty-eight a.m. It is done. I have injected 5 centiliters of the newly fused formula. A slight feeling of euphoria. Light-headedness. No noticeable behavioral differences."  
  
Christian sat and awaited for the drugs to take hold of him. He wasn't quite sure what to expect. Although, in his naive mind, he nearly expected the evil to suddenly disppear and all would be wonderful in the world. As the thoughts danced across his mind, he thoughtfully sang.  
  
"Now the die is cast  
  
Nothing left to do!  
  
Time alone can prove  
  
My theories true!  
  
Show the world..."  
  
But his musings were interrupted by his sudden exclaimation of, "Dear God! What's this?!" A sudden pain had taken hold of Christian. He leapt out of his seat and burst into a pain-filled song.  
  
"Something is happening - I can't explain!  
  
Something inside me, a breath-taking pain  
  
Devours and consumes me  
  
And drives me insane!"  
  
A writhing, twisting pain had filled his insides, and an agony had raged outside as well. At first he staggered around the room, then suddenly fell to the floor. He tossed-and-turned upon the floor like a child with a horrible stomach ache. He cried and wailed as though something were trying to come out of him. All the while, he sang - cried - out.  
  
"Suddenly  
  
Uncontrolled  
  
Something is  
  
Taking hold!"  
  
"Suddenly  
  
Agony  
  
Filling me  
  
Killing me!"  
  
"Suddenly  
  
Out of breath  
  
What is this?  
  
Is this death?"  
  
"Suddenly  
  
Look at me!  
  
Can it be?  
  
Who is this creature  
  
That I see?"  
  
The pain instantly vanished as something else told hold of Christian. A certain dark aura had wrapped its arms around the innocent poet and plucked something horrid from the depths of his soul. A man - no, a creature - now stood in the garret. He peered around and with a sinister smirk cried out, "Free!"  
  
With a devious gleam in his green eyes, this new man pushed his black locks out of his eyes, content to have them slicked back. He peered into Christian's dresser and threw clothes out and around the garret until he found a suit - all-black - with a cape. He changed into the dark attire which accented his over-all dark demeenor. He wrapped the cape around his shoulders and grabbed a cane from the corner.  
  
This new man - cold and calculating - was everything Christian could not be. Although he held no money or power, this man was quite sure of himself that he held both. This man could be an investor for the Moulin Rouge and give Satine the life she wanted. He was confident enough to act like a Duke, and cold enough to kill anyone who didn't believe him.  
  
With a quick jerk, he opened the door and slammed it shut behind him. He stomped down the staircase and into the street with a nasty gleam in his emerald eyes. In a tone that sounded like nails scraping against the steel bars of a prison cell yet haunting enough to be chillingingly melodic, he sang.  
  
"Animals trapped behind bars at the zoo  
  
Need to run rampant and free!  
  
Predators live on the prey they pursue  
  
This time the predator's me!"  
  
The Duke - as he now called himself - had one thought in his mind. Although Christian saw Satine through innocent eyes and with the hope that she was something wonderful, the Duke's evil spirit caught of glimpse of something much-too-desirable. Suddenly his evil actions were guided by one thing - lust.  
  
"Lust - like a raging desire  
  
Fills my whole soul with its curse!  
  
Burning with primitive fire  
  
Berserk and perverse!"  
  
As he stormed through the streets with his song crashing down like a brilliant yet frightening thunderbolt, his mind was dreaming and scheming of ways to make Satine his completely. By stealing her from the men of the Moulin Rouge, he took away the majority of Moulin Rouge's profits. But also, he would be stealing her from Christian and ruin his plans of finding of the "perfect" love. It all seemed so brilliant in his mind.  
  
"Tonight I'll plunder heaven blind!  
  
Steal from all the Gods!  
  
Tonight I'll take from all mankind  
  
Conquer all the odds!"  
  
The Duke grinned like a devil and cackled into the night. He felt as though he could live forever, for who would dare stop a Duke? The idea pleased him as his laughter filled the night air and his song rang through the streets of Monmarte.  
  
"And I feel I'll live on forever  
  
With Satan himself by my side!  
  
And I'll show the world  
  
That tonight and forever  
  
The name to remember's  
  
But not Christian's, but mine!"  
  
As the glittering, red wings of the windmill were in his view, he laughed again. Tonight he would get everything he wanted, and no one - not even Christian - was going to stand in his way.  
  
"What a feeling to be so alive!  
  
I have never seen me so alive!  
  
Such a feeling of evil isn't a fluke!  
  
For it's the feeling of being the Duke!"  
  
After pushing a few drunken individuals aside, the Duke stepped into the Moulin Rouge and was greeted by one of Zidler's Diamond Dogs.  
  
"Tall, dark, and handsome. My kind of guy. Would you like to go straight to the Red Room, sir? I'll give you a real show. Who needs the Sparkling Diamond when you've got me around?" Nini purred.  
  
The Duke viciously grabbed hold of Nini's wrist and proceeded to twist until she cried out in pain, but even then he refused to release her. "I will only be taken to the Red Room by the Sparkling Diamond herself. I want to see Harold Zidler," he hissed, then suddenly raised his voice to a yell, "NOW!"  
  
"No!" Nini cried out in pain, "I won't take you anywhere! Let go of me!"  
  
"Tsk tsk, my dear," the Duke spat, "you shouldn't treat a -Duke- like that. Now, you will take me to Zidler or else I will deal with you in the only way you underworld showfolk understand."  
  
With a sudden spark of fear ignited in her eyes, Nini nodded, "I'm sorry, my dear Duke. Right this way, please."  
  
"So you're not pathetically stupid after-all. I would say I'm impressed, but well, I'm not," the Duke stated arrogantly as he released Nini's wrist.  
  
Nini nearly had to bite her tongue to control the comments she longed to lash out as this supposed duke. She led him into a section of box seats and escorted him to a small table. "Wait right here, my dear Duke," she said. "Zidler will be with you in a moment."  
  
As soon as she stepped out of the box, Nini's trembling hands lifted her yellow skirts enough to run, but she found that there was nowhere to run. In a matter of moments, she was face-to-face with Harold Zidler.  
  
"Where are you going, my dear?" Harold inquired.  
  
"I was.. I was looking for you. There's a Duke here to see you," she said, and that was the last of her comments Harold paid attention to. But, she continued anyway, desperately hoping he would listen, "He's horrible! He hurt me - twisted my wrist around. He even threatened my life-"  
  
"Where is he? I'm sure he would love to invest..." Harold stated with a gleam in his eyes.  
  
"Second box," Nini murmered reluctantly.  
  
Harold brushed past Nini and strolled quickly to the second box. After taking a moment to fake his best smile, he opened the door and sat across from the Duke.  
  
"I'm so sorry to have kept you wai-" Harold began, but he was cut off quickly by the Duke's comments.  
  
"I wish to see the Sparkling Diamond alone tonight. If I'm impressed by her... private show, I will consider donating to your little Moulin Rouge," the Duke stated.  
  
There was an aura of darkness surrounding the Duke - an aura Harold could not ignore. Sending Satine to see this man could be ultimately disasterous. If something should happen to Satine, there would be no star for the Moulin Rouge. But, if he didn't send Satine, there wouldn't be a Moulin Rouge.  
  
"I will arrange a private meeting for you and Mademoiselle Satine, totally alone," Harold replied, "And I'm sure you will be quite imp-"  
  
Suddenly silence filled the room as the lights were dimmed and the Sparkling Diamond appeared above the lust-filled men upon her diamond- studded swing. With her seductive grin and sultry voice, she sang - purred - to all the men who desired her.  
  
"The French are glad to die for love.  
  
They delight in fighting duels.  
  
But I prefer a man who lives  
  
And gives expensive jewels."  
  
Just as suddenly as the silence had occured, the lights were shining brightly, and the men were whistling and yelling for their Sparkling Diamond. She sang from her swing and leapt off at the end of her verse; all the while, she was keeping the Duke's lustful desire enthralled.  
  
"A kiss on the hand may be quite Continental,  
  
But diamonds are a girl's best friend.  
  
A kiss may be grand,  
  
But it won't pay the rental  
  
On your humble flat  
  
Or help you feed your helpless cat.  
  
Men grow cold  
  
As girls grow old,  
  
And we all lose our charms in the end,  
  
But square-cut or pear-shaped,  
  
These rocks don't lose their shape.  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best friend."  
  
Harold suddenly interrupted the Duke's amusement by murmering a quick, "Excuse me," and a moment after, he departed the box. The Duke, mildly annoyed from Harold's distraction, refocused his attention to Satine. There was no way in hell he would allow Christian to have such a beautiful creature. Never. Of course, the Duke, although he thought otherwise, couldn't control Christian and would certainly never control Satine. Although her performance was seducing every man's mind in the Moulin Rouge, Satine's heart was quickly falling for a Bohemian poet she hardly knew. As she sang through the crowd and eventually ended up running toward the stange during her song to escape the men and to continue her act, she secretly longed for Christian.  
  
"Tiffany. . . Cartier. . .  
  
'Cause we are living  
  
in a material world,  
  
And I am a material girl.  
  
((kiss)) ahhhh  
  
Come and get me boys!  
  
Black Star, Ross Call,  
  
Talk to me, Harry Zidler, tell me all about it!"  
  
When Satine finally reached the stage, she stood next to Harold who murmered something to her about a duke. But there wasn't time to play twenty questions, for the drunken men were awaiting Satine to continue in her sultry performance.  
  
"There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer,  
  
But diamonds are a girl's best friend.  
  
There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer  
  
Thinks you're awful nice,  
  
But get that ice  
  
Or else no dice."  
  
Suddenly Satine and Zidler were hidden within a circle of skirts while they quickly changed their costumed-attire, and the Diamond Dogs sang their own little chorus. The pair exnchanged questions for answers back-and-forth until both knew everything about the situation the other knew. There was a duke - the smoldering temptress type - who was keen to invest, and as long as Satine gave her usual stunning perfomance, she would become a real actress with her first role being in Christian's play. Simple enough, they supposed.  
  
"He's your guy when stocks are high,  
  
But beware when they start to descend.  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best,  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best,  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best,  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best friend."  
  
Harold quickly removed himself from the circle and darted back to the Duke, while Satine emerged back unto the stage with her typical black attire transformed into a dazzling red. Her legs were clad in black, knee-high boots, and a flirtacious black boa was draped across her shoulders. She stood, twirling Harold's jacket around with a sinister smirk as though - something - had happened within the circle of Diamond Dogs. She tossed the jacket aside and again sang to her adoring crowd.  
  
"'Cause that's when those louses  
  
Go back to their spouses.  
  
Diamonds are a girl's best friend."  
  
Satine paused and grinned when her first number was complete. The men wildly applauded and began to chant "Sat-ine! Sat-ine! Sat-ine!" until she moved as though she would sing again. She teased them a bit, walking back- and-forth and not singing a note. Finally she sat upon the edge of the stage as the music began to fill from the room from above.  
  
"There was a time - I don't know when  
  
I didn't have much time for men  
  
But this is now - and that was then  
  
I'm learning!  
  
A girl alone - All on her own  
  
Must try to have a heart of stone  
  
So I try not to make it known.  
  
My yearning!  
  
I try to show I have no need  
  
I really do - I don't succeed"  
  
With a sudden smirk, Satine stood and twirled around. She moved about on the stage giving a dazzling smile and a flirtacious wink to the staring men around her. The Duke began a bit enraged by her behavior toward the other men, but he concluded that it was simply because she hadn't met - him - yet.  
  
"So let's bring on the men  
  
And let the fun begin  
  
A little touch of sin  
  
Why wait another minute?  
  
Step this way  
  
It's time for us to play  
  
So lets waste no more time  
  
Bring on the men!  
  
I always knew - I always said  
  
That silk and lace - in black and red  
  
Will drive a man right of his head  
  
It's easy!  
  
So many men, so little time  
  
I want 'em all - Is that a crime?  
  
I don't know why they say that I'm  
  
Too easy!  
  
They make me laugh - they make me cry  
  
They make me sick - so God knows why"  
  
Satine's laughter danced around the room as the Diamond Dogs twirled around and joined in her performance. The stage was a dazzling display of twirling skirts and feather boas as they each tried to win the affections - and money - of the men around them.  
  
"We say bring on the men  
  
And let the fun begin  
  
A little touch of sin  
  
Why wait another minute?  
  
Step this way  
  
It's time for us to play  
  
So lets waste no more time  
  
Bring on the men!"  
  
As they danced around, Satine was able to have a moment to stare into the box that held the Duke. She sighed and instantly wished she could be with that charming poet instead. Something in her, despite her costume and song, desired a real life with real love, not a nasty, evil Duke that just wanted a private show. She gave another sigh as a realization occured to her. Why was she falling for a silly poet? She had known plenty of men to know that love is just game. Her ponderings were interrupted by Nini giving her a quick push as if to remind her she was in the middle of a performance. As she sang the next part, she stared at the Duke and wished he would listen to her instead of staring.  
  
"They break your heart  
  
They steal your soul  
  
Take you apart  
  
And yet they somehow make you whole  
  
So what's their game?  
  
I 'spose a rose by any other name  
  
The perfume and the pricks the same"  
  
Something within Satine felt horrible about giving such a show. She knew Christian wouldn't like it, yet she hardly knew him. Still, she ignored the little voice in the back of her head and forced her Sparkling Diamond facade as she hopped off the stage and proceeded to stroll through the whistling, drooling men.  
  
"I like to have a man  
  
For breakfast eachday . . .  
  
I'm very social  
  
And I like it that way!  
  
By late mid-morning  
  
I need something to munch . . .  
  
So I ask over  
  
Two men for lunch!"  
  
As she sang and gave her suggestive winks away, the men began to chase after her. She quickly ran into Chocolat who lifted her above the crowd. She murmered a quiet "thanks" as she continued in her song.  
  
"My healthy appetite Gets strongest at night  
  
My at-home dinners  
  
Are my men-friends delight  
  
When I invite the fellers  
  
Over to dine . . .  
  
They all come early  
  
An' we're in bed by nine"  
  
Chocolat and Satine danced through the crowd, and once they reached the stage, he aided her in returning to her swing. She was quickly lifted into the air again, safe from the hungry men, as the Diamond Dogs sang.  
  
"So let's bring on the men  
  
And let the fun begin  
  
A little touch of sin  
  
Why wait another minute?  
  
Step this way  
  
It's time for us to play  
  
So lets waste no more time"  
  
Satine sang out one final, "Bring on the men!" before she her swing reached the backstage area. Marie quickly located her and began the process of turning her from "Sparkling Diamond" into "Smoldering Temptress". As Satine endured the painful process of getting into another corset and dress, the Diamond Dogs completed their number.  
  
"Big men. small men  
  
Short men , tall men  
  
I guess that means  
  
Almost ALL men!  
  
I'm a player  
  
Long as they are men!"  
  
The Diamond Dogs scattered through the crowd once their song was complete. Upon Harold's command, they started a Hunkadola on the dancefloor. The Duke searched the crowd with hungry eyes for the prize he desired. After scanning the room and finding no sign of the Sparkling Diamond, he began to grow anxious and angry. But, before those fierce emotions could take control of him, the door to his box seats suddenly opened.  
  
Satine stood dressed in a long, red, satin dress. Her firey locks cascaded to a point just below her barely-covered shoulder blades. With a seductive gleam in her peridot eyes, she purred, "I believe you were expecting me."  
  
"Yes, I was, Mademoiselle Satine, but it appears you've kept me waiting," he said, arrogantly.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry for keeping you waiting, my dear Duke," she said, caught off-guard by his arrogance. "But, I must say, I am so glad that you have taken an interest in our little show."  
  
"I don't care about the show, only you. If I'm quite impressed by your own little show, I will see about investing," he said.  
  
Satine's stomach twisted in knots at his words. To become an actress she would have to be his little whore. The thought sickened her, but her ambitious desire to become a - real - actress was too much to give up. Perhaps, she pondered, she could distract him for the moment. Perhaps there was another way...  
  
"I'm sure you will," Satine purred, as though his words had meant nothing.  
  
"Oh Chickpea," Harold's voice boomed as he suddenly appeared in the box, much to their dismay, "why don't you two squirrels go up to the Elephant to get better acquainted?"  
  
"Oh, of course, Harold, I was just about to," she murmered, disgust lingering in her tone. But, Harold didn't respond, and the Duke, apparently, didn't notice. "Right this way, my dear Duke."  
  
Satine escorted the Duke toward her beloved Elephant with delibrately slow footsteps. She was dreading this night more than any other. It was one thing, she pondered, to seduce the Duke in order to win his affection to keep him around. It was quite another being - ordered - by him, basically, to be his personal whore, his private show, his midnight snack. No one would ever respect her, and she knew it. No one would think of her as a real actress; they would whisper "Duke's mistress" behind her back, but in their minds, they would think "Duke's whore". Was it worth it? She had spent most of her life indulging men's fantasies and being worth what someone would pay. Why did it matter so much now? Perhaps because a certain Bohemian poet had put thoughts in her head. "How wonderful life is-" She shook her head as if to rid the voice of goodness from her. This was her life, and a silly poet couldn't change that.  
  
"Here we are," Satine stated, forcing her sultry voice as she opened the red door to her exotic Elephant. She quickly stepped inside, already separating herself from the Duke. She darted behind her changing curtain and said, "Please excuse me a moment, I just need to change into something more.. comfortable."  
  
As Satine stepped out of her red, satin dress and slipped into the slinky, black attire, a haunting sadness danced in her peridot eyes. She glanced into her mirror and struggled to force the tears back. "Yours are the sweetest eyes, I've ever-" Stop it! - she scolded herself as she shook her head - You are a courtesan, and therefore you can not fall in love. She glared at her reflection, determined to give the Duke exactly what he wanted and move on to a better place in her life. She would be a star - his whore - but a star.  
  
"Ahem, my dear Duke," she purred, "I'm quite pleased that you took time out of your busy schedule. I do hope this is good enough for you."  
  
"Quite, Mademoiselle Satine," he said, grabbing her hand and placing a slimy kiss upon it. "A kiss on the hand may be quite Continental."  
  
"But diamond's are a girl's best friend. Tsk tsk," she said, teasingly shaking a finger at him. "Would you care for a bit of supper?"  
  
"Perhaps," he said, staring at her with a nefarious gleam in his emerald eyes. She cringed slightly, but he didn't seem to notice. She moved to the other side of the table, keeping it between them for the moment. With a nearly nervous hesistation, she reached for a grape, but his hand quickly grabbed hers. "So, Mademoiselle Satine, what is this little show about? I suppose I should know the story before I invest."  
  
"It's about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," she stated.  
  
"How ironic," he murmered.  
  
"You should really discuss it with our writer, Christian. It was quite lovely the way he described it," she said, as a sudden odd gleam danced in her eyes.  
  
"Oh really?" he inquired.  
  
"Yes," she said, suddenly lost in a daze. She tried to be seductive toward the Duke in her actions, yet in her mind, her words were for Christian only. "I hope you don't mind... I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world."  
  
"That's.. that's quite beautiful..." the Duke stammered, suddenly captivated by her. He leaned forward to kiss her, but Satine suddenly jumped away. He snarled angrily.  
  
"My dear Duke," she suddenly wept and collasped onto her bed in hopes of getting herself out of the horrid situation, "you must know the effect you have on women!"  
  
"And what would that effect be?" he asked, darkly.  
  
"There's a power in you that scares me," she said, cringing - and to her dismay he noticed that time. "We should wait until opening night."  
  
Satine turned when she received no responce, but she was face-to-face with the Duke. He forcefully grabbed her arms and kept her pinned down. "I won't wait until opening night, Mademoiselle Satine," he hissed in a tone that sickened her, "because as of this moment, I haven't decided if I want to invest. Now, if you give me what I want, I'll give you what you want. It's not such a dangerous game, is it, Mademoiselle Satine? I need a pretty, little whore... and you want to be a star. Don't act so prudish now; if I hadn't arrived, you would be seducing some other man. Admit it, Sparkling Diamond, you are a courtesan. I will make you a star, and you will do as I say. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"  
  
At first she said nothing, and in reply, the Duke tightened his grip upon her tiny wrists. There was nothing she could do. "My dear Duke," she purred, again forcing her Sparkling Diamond voice, "of course you make yourself quite clear. I desire nothing more than to be - your - courtesan. You will make me a star, and all I have to do for you in return is my job. How fortunate I am, my dear Duke."  
  
"Don't toy with-" he hissed, but Satine's sudden singing stopped his words.  
  
"How wonderful life is, now you're in the world," she sang softly, causing a certain enchantment to fill the Duke's eyes. As the horrid seduction took place, Satine thought nothing and felt nothing - she was merely a puppet in his game. Although his cruel words and icy touches disgusted her completely, she did nothing. She was the Sparkling Diamond and such things weren't supposed to bother her.  
  
The night's hours passed by slowly, and Satine acted as though she was lost in a peaceful slumber. She didn't sleep, not at all, for her mind was wide awake and thinking horridly of herself. The cold, cruel Duke arose from the bed and reluctantly got dressed. Once he was gone, Satine finally allowed herself to remember the terrible feelings. She cried and cried until she felt as though there were not any tears left in her peridot eyes. She stared at the ceiling and sang softly.  
  
"Look at me and tell me who I am,  
  
Why I am, what I am.  
  
Call me a fool and it's true I am.  
  
I don't know who I am.  
  
It's such a shame - I'm such a shame.  
  
No one knows who I am."  
  
She reached for her pink robe and softly tied it around herself as she stood and walked around her Elephant. She finally stopped in the dark corner where her dressing table sat. She stared into her mirror and sang bitterly to her reflection.  
  
"Am I the face of the future?  
  
Am I the fact of the past?  
  
Am I the one who must finish last?"  
  
Satine sighed and slowly walked toward her balcony. She stared out at the still sleeping city and sang - cried - out to anyone who would listen.  
  
"Look at me and tell me who I am,  
  
Why I am, what I am.  
  
Will I survive, who will give a damn  
  
If no one knows who I am?"  
  
Tears began to fall from her peridot eyes again as she thought about a poet who made her believe that perhaps she was worth something to someone. But, she reminded herself, she wasn't worth anything to anyone.  
  
"Nobody knows,  
  
Not even you,  
  
No one knows who I am." 


End file.
